The apparatus of the present invention relates generally to the production of graphical displays representative of the interpolated status of data source arrays. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for producing a continuously interpolated graphical display representing the status of a transducer array in spatial equivalence thereto.
Arrays of discrete date sources, i.e., transducers, are often used to monitor the spatial variations of a critical parameter. For example, it is often desirable to continuously monitor the temperature distribution of a face of a continuous casting mold. In order to monitor this temperature distribution, an array of thermocouples are strategically positioned along the mold face and their outputs monitored. This approach, of course, requires equipment and personnel to monitor the output of each individual thermocouple. Furthermore, the output of the individual thermocouples provide no information reflecting temperature conditions intermediate the individual thermocouples.
By the method and apparatus of the present invention a single graphical display representing the temperature distribution of a mold face is realized. In addition, the graphical display includes information reflecting the temperature distribution for locations intermediate the discretely located thermocouples.
The prior art teaches various devices whose general purpose is that of obtaining a graphic display from a plurality of intermittently sampled data signals. However, the graphic displays formulated by prior art methods have generally been limited to a series of discrete dots representing the values of the data sensors only. That is, for the most part, prior art teachings do not include means for obtaining information regarding positions intermediate the discrete sensor locations. And, although some prior art apparatus teaches the general concept of interconnecting the discrete data points with straight lines, this has generally been accomplished without attempting to derive any meaningful information respecting the positions intermediate the discrete data sensors.
The relatively few prior art devices which attempt to provide a meaningfully interpolated graphical output representing a data sensor array have involved the use of extremely complex equipment, generally including rather sophisticated computer programs. Complex devices of this type have proven unsatisfactory from both a cost and logistical standpoint.
Furthermore, the prior art methods have generally been limited to presenting graphical displays for a one-dimensional data sensor array only. As such, prior art methods of graphically displaying the condition of a two-dimensional data sensor array consists of simply repeating the one-dimensional process a sufficient number of times.